TAKATA SEAT BLT BCKLS FAIL
Opened Nov 14, 1994
Closed Mar 10, 1995
There is no summary currently available
SEAT BELTS
1988 Subaru Subaru
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
2
Latest Nov 8, 1998
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
1
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0
Overview
Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1988 Subaru Subaru, most frequently naming the transmission, engine and fuel system categories. 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 12 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
Not enough dated records to plot a meaningful trend — 2 months of data.
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Transmission228.6%
- Engine114.3%
- Fuel system114.3%
- Seat belts114.3%
- Steering114.3%
- Visibility114.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Safety investigations
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
Transmission
Filed Nov 8, 1998
4WD STATIONWAGEN GL , AFTER ACCELERATING TO DRIVING SPEEDS, LOUD CLICKING OCCURS, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY RAPID INTERMITTENT LOCKING OF FRONT WHEELS, FOLLOWED BY FULL LOCKUP OF ALL WHEELS, FORCING VEHICLE TO SUDDEN AND COMPLETE STOP. ENGINE DOES NOT DIE, AND WHEN ACCELERATOR IS DEPRESSED, TRANSMISSION RETURNS TO NORMAL FUNCTION. DEFECT - EVEN AT LOWER SPEEDS OF 15-20 MPH, CAUSED SUDDEN LOCKUP IN TRAFFIC, NEARLY CAUSING 3 REAR-END COLLISIONS WITH FOLLOWING VEHICLE AND 1 FRONTAL COLLISION WITH BRIDGE WALL DURING 1 MILE TRIP TO GET VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD. PROBLEM SEEMS TO APPEAR AFTER ACCELERATION TO DRIVE SPEED IS DONE. ONCE SPEED STABILIZES, LOCKUP OCCURS, AND CAN BE MINIMIZED IF ENGINE IS SPED UP WITH ACCELERATOR, BUT ONCE STARTED, RESULTS AGAIN IN FULL LOCKUP ONCE ACCELERATION IS LET UP. THIS IS A HIGHLY DANGEROUS CONDITION THAT APPEARS TO HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING UNTIL IT HAPPENS. I SUSPECT IT IS POSSIBLY A CONTROL COMPUTER PROBLEM, A VACUUM-RELATED SYSTEM PROBLEM AND / OR AN INTERNAL TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. VEHICLE WAS IN 2-WHEEL DRIVE MODE AT ALL TIMES. NO DRIVING WAS ATTEMPTED IN 4-WHEEL MODE. I'M NOT SURE IF VEHICLE HAS ABS BRAKES, BUT THIS WAS A REMOTE CONSIDERATION ALSO. LOCKUP FELT LIKE IT STARTED IN THE TRANSMISSION/TRANSFER SYSTEM, THEN RELIABLY PROGRESSED TO A BUCKING MOTION OF ENTIRE VEHICLE, AND AFTER 3-4 FORWARD-BACKWARD OSCILLATIONS, ALWAYS PROGRESSED TO A FULL LOCKUP OF ALL WHEELS TO A SCREECHING HALT. AS SOON AS VEHICLE STOPPED, IT COULD BE DRIVEN ONCE AGAIN AS IF NOTHING HAD HAPPENED.
- NHTSA ID
- 700408
- Incident
- Nov 7, 1998
EngineFuel systemSeat belts+3 more
Filed Jun 29, 1995
INTAKE GASKET ON ONE HEAD LEAKED COOLANT 2 TIMES/O-RING BETWEEN BASEPLATE AND INTAKE MANIFOLD INSTALLED. *SD
- NHTSA ID
- 483230
- Incident
- Jun 29, 1995
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
01-167-08R
EQUIPMENT
This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for individual models.
15-302-22
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; EQUIPMENT
This bulletin contains illustrations of exchange components and their manufacturer as well as a description of the proper exchange procedure.
15-192-22R
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This bulletin has been developed to outline the steps for gathering basic essential information during diagnosis and repair of the Infotainment concerns. (Applicable to all models with Harman or Denso CP1 Infotainment).
01-167-08R
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; EQUIPMENT
This bulletin contains additional information for recommended materials listed in the Service Manuals for individual models
09-51-08R
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING; EQUIPMENT
This bulletin is to advise of SOAâs revised catalytic converter recycling program shipping procedure.
14-22-16R
EQUIPMENT
To help reduce confusion and increase technician efficiency, Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) has developed the following cross reference list to help locate the appropriate Special Service Tool.
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2002 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2001 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1999 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1998 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1997 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1996 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1995 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1993 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1992 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1991 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1990 | 3 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1989 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1988Viewing | 2 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1987 | 4 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1986 | 2 | 0 | 2 | — |
| 1985 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1984 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 1983 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 1982 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 1981 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — |
| 1980 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — |
| 1979 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 1978 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — |
| 1977 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — |
| 1976 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1975 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1974 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1973 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 1972 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.